Desperate Irish Seeking Escape Routes

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The crowd at the RDS in Dublin on Sunday for a work abroad job fair

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In an effort to find a way out of Ireland’s slumping economy, a looming €50 million budget cut and few employment prospects, thousands of Irish people attended a two-day work abroad jobs fair in Dublin over the weekend.

Over 5,000 young families, older people and recent graduates sought advice and information on what employment prospects are available to them outside of recession hit Ireland. Jobs in the healthcare, construction and engineering industries were on offer in countries such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand at the “Working Abroad Expo” that was held at the RDS in Dublin. The aim of the expo was to introduce prospective emigrants to recruiters and visa experts in the aforementioned countries. Over 45 exhibitors attended the expo, including migration officials, relocation experts, government bodies and recruiters. Exhibitors included the Canadian High Commission and Immigration New Zealand, which outlined the current visa options for Irish citizens. “There is plenty of opportunity for all and many people may just find they fall into a category. We are recruiting for a wide variety of positions,” Christopher Willis of Canadian Visa Specialists told The Irish Times.

Stephen McLaron, one of the event organizers, said this year’s event attracted more interest than previous years. Said McLaron, "We have seen significantly more Irish people here than this time 12 months ago.” "I would now estimate 80% to 95% of the people here are Irish. There are a lot of people here today that have jobs, but they are concerned about their future prospects. "We issued 3,000 tickets. But I'd say overall we are tracking about 4,500 to 5,000 people over the two days,” added McLaron.

A Co. Dublin woman, Orla Smith, told the Irish Independent newspaper that emigration was her only option in ensuring her daughter’s future.

"I just had my daughter Annabelle recently and I don't want to bring her up here. What future has she got here?" she asked.

"We are considering going abroad because Des, my partner, is struggling at work and I am finding it hard to get back to work after the baby. There is just no future.

Meanwhile in New York, the Aisling Irish Community Center in Yonkers and the Emerald Isle Immigration Centers in both Queens and the Bronx have reported several weekly inquiries, both via email and phone, from people in Ireland who wish to come to the U.S. for work.

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